Trouble, Tears, and Tragedy
by Lunar Mystic
Summary: An interesting essay on "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles - I wrote this for school, but people seemed to find it amusing, so I've decided to post it. :) Please read the book first - it will make infinitely more sense if you do. Aristotle gives a lecture to th
1. Prologos

Prologos Scene: Ms. English's 1st period class. Aristotle is giving a speech. 

Aristotle (lecturing): the tragic hero should be a good ruler or leader.

(The class scribbles it down)

Oedipus: I'm a good person!

Aristotle (glances over at him, irritated): Yes, yes, be quiet.  You're disturbing me.

Oedipus (jumping up and down): And I'm a ruler too!  I rule Thebes!

Aristotle (more annoyed): Shush!  You're supposed to be taking notes!  Ahem.  Where was I?  Oh, yes.  The tragic hero must be good, but they will have a flaw.

(Oedipus's brow creases as he engages in some serious thinking)

Aristotle: Their misfortune will be the result of some great error or frailty.

Oedipus: AHA!

(The whole class jumps and glares at him)

Oedipus (leaps to his feet and waves his left arm around, unaware of their baleful stares): I have a frailty!  My elbow hurts whenever it rains!

(Groans from the class . . .)

Aristotle: No, No, NO!  I meant a flaw in the _personality_, you illiterate pupil!  A faulty judgment; a weakened resolve . . . (Oedipus thinks some more)  Anyhow . . . as I was saying . . . ahem . . . the tragedy brings the reader to experience pity and fear on behalf of the tragic hero.

Oedipus: Oh, oh, oh, oh!  I _am_ a tragic hero!  Everyone feels sorry for me!

Aristotle (mutters): I wonder why.

Oedipus: And they're all scared of me, too. (looks around at all the empty desks surrounding his) 

(They all roll their eyes in exasperation)

Oedipus: Oh, come on—let me tell everyone about my great, grave, serious, solemn, somber, stern, grim, severe, fateful, dire flaws!

Class: No.  Never!  Don't even begin!

Aristotle: Hey!  Democracy, democracy!  The man has a right to speak!  *Uh, did I just say that?*  Let's hear him out.  Do you solemnly swear to tell the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth so help you God?

Oedipus: Er . . . wasn't that invented by the Americans in the 1800's?  You were . . . well, _dead_ by then . . .

Aristotle: Ahem, I knew that . . . of course I knew that!  I know everything!  Get on with your tragic tale!


	2. Trouble, Tears, and Tragedy

Trouble, Tears, and Tragedy

            As Aristotle said, a tragic hero is essentially a good character with a flaw.  The flaw will ultimately bring about misfortune and a sad ending to the tragedy, which makes the audience sympathize with the hero and fear the book's impending conclusion.

            Take Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, for example.  Oedipus is the tragic hero, and he is prophetically fated to kill his father and marry his mother.  Here's where the flaw comes in.  It might seem that his flaw was partly in struggling to avoid fulfilling the prophecy (and so making it reality), but considering that he still failed to escape the prediction despite all his efforts, it seems that it was absolutely impossible to prevent it from coming true.

            Another more reasonable suggestion for this tragic hero's flaw is that he was too hasty in making decisions.  Upon receiving word that Apollo was punishing Thebes for harboring Laios' murderer, he immediately called the people together and announced a dark punishment for the offender.  He went so far as to say that even if the murderer were a guest in the king's own palace, justice would be carried out.  As the king, his intentions were solidly good; he wished to help his city by ridding it of the plague.  That would be accomplished by avenging Laios' death, and he made his proclamation in order to do so.  He did what any good king would do, but his words later condemned him.  

            It was also haste and, more specifically, a quick temper that drove Oedipus to murder Laios.  He was angered by the Theban king's haughty actions, and his temper flared.  He killed Laios, who was actually his father, therefore making the Delphic prophecy true.  The fact that this awful deed is revealed bit by tiny bit makes Oedipus Rex attention-grabbing and suspenseful, and it also adds to the horror at the end when the terrible truth is confirmed.

             Oedipus was a heroic man and a great king.  He solved the Sphinx's riddle and freed Thebes from her death-wielding claws.  His flaw, however, was in being too quick to act.  Had he not killed Laios, he would not have married his mother, and the story would not have been a tragedy.  On second thought, it probably wouldn't have been written at all.  The Greek gods are, however, mysterious and often times cruel.  If Oedipus hadn't killed Laios at that particular moment, perhaps he would have met him at a later time, with the end result always holding true to the prophecy.  There are always the "what-if" endings to a story.  In this case, Sophocles chose the ending he did, and so this book is labeled a tragedy . . . starring Oedipus as the tragic hero.

_~__Fine __~_


End file.
